Agency Nation Radio - Insurance Marketing, Sales And Technology

IA Advantage, presented by TrustedChoice.com TrustedChoice.com employees have taken over the IA Advantage podcast this month to bring you a master class in search engine optimization content strategies. Listen as Steve Gomez, Director of SEO, picks the brain of a leading SEO consultant to uncover strategies for creating web content that enhances your overall SEO. You’ll learn tips on selecting topics, how to improve existing content, how to deal with Google’s changing algorithm, and more.

Katelyn Aitken Myer is the third generation to work in the family agency, Aitken & Ormond Insurance in Michigan. On this edition of Declaration of Independents, we dig into expanding her role from accounting to overall agency operations and IT. She shares tips for keeping family drama at bay and how agencies should consider building roles that will help the agency grow and attract new talent. Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success, and failure—stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From main street USA to the pages of Independent Agent magazine—we’ve got the stories you want to hear. For more, catch Agency Nation Radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit iamagazine.com/podcasts.

On this edition of Agency Nation Radio, Avery Moore, owner of ECI Insurance, and Scott Freiday, InsurBanc Division Director dig into the intricacies of financing an independent agency. The two share strategies and anecdotes for aspiring owners on the importance of relationships, mentorship, valuation, and interest rates. They also share key factors used to evaluate an agency for financing. "Most important is to start that conversation early and raise your hand. Let the owner know that you'd like to be the candidate for the next generation of ownership," says Scott. Whether you are an aspiring owner or considering retirement, the InsurBanc leader shares strategies to help you understand your next step. Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success, and failure—stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From main street USA to the pages of Independent Agent magazine—we’ve got the stories y

Tune in as Charles Symington, Big “I” EVP, and Nathan Riedel VP of political affairs give a preview of the 2022 election. Get an insider look at what's happening with the polls and dive into the fight for control of the House of Representatives. The beltway insiders will also share their perspectives on competitive Senate races. Who's going to take control of the House and Senate? Will history repeat itself? Listen in and our experts will cut through the noise, dust off the crystal ball, and predict the nation’s most competitive seats. Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success, and failure—stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From main street USA to the pages of Independent Agent magazine—we’ve got the stories you want to hear. For more, catch Agency Nation Radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit iamagazine.com/podcasts.

On this episode of Declaration of Independence on Agency Nation Radio, we meet Angela Trimble, TrustPoint Insurance & Real Estate in Burlington, Kansas. Angela and her best friend purchased a branch of a local independent agency in 2009 and since then her agency has grown from 5 to 20 employees at three locations. At the cornerstone of Angela's continued growth is knowledge. The insurance industry and client needs are constantly changing and insurance professionals need to stay up to date on the evolution. Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success, and failure—stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From main street USA to the pages of Independent Agent magazine—we’ve got the stories you want to hear. For more, catch Agency Nation Radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit iamagazine.com/podcasts. Have a story to tell? Contact Susan Bonner, Big "I" assistant vice presi

On this month's Agency Nation Radio Declaration of Independents we meet Brian Bradley, founder and co-owner of Covenant Insurance Services in Nebraska. The challenges of life as both a father and working in the community with a nonprofit presented Bradley with a dilemma. He loved giving back to the community, working with people and making a difference, “but if you can't take care of yourself, obviously something had to break," Bradley says. In 2009, Bradley made the decision to leave the nonprofit world and began working for a captive insurer. Seven years later, Bradley founded Covenant Insurance Services with Stan Gatchenko, his co-worker and “work wife." Today, along with his duties as an independent agent, Bradley remains very active in his church, his community and particularly in the foster care and adoption community. He and his wife are currently the proud parents of 8 children. Tune in as host Olivia Overman, content editor, and Brain Bradley talk about his journey into insurance and what the futu

Hear from five young independent agents on how they found careers in insurance. Some found the industry by chance, others it's a family affair, but all of them note just how much they love their careers in insurance. And, with many agency owners navigating retirement, now is the time for professionals to consider an insurance career--- especially those with entrepreneurial spirit who want to help their community. "I have a hard time thinking of a different career that I would wanna be in. I work with the commercial line side of the industry, so I get to help business owners every day. And I love hearing about the businesses they've built, that they are so proud of at the, an amazing feeling, being able to work with them, to protect their businesses. And each day is different from the one before it, because each client is so different. I've never had a boring get yet," says Leah Robinson, My Member Insurance Agency in Saginaw Michigan. Tune in and hear what these emerging leaders love about insurance-- thi

Tiago Prado We went from zero to 50 million in premium in less than five years.

One in 10 homes in the U.S. were impacted by natural hazards in 2021, according to CoreLogic. And, according to Swiss Re, insured losses from natural disasters in 2021 again exceeded the previous ten-year average, continuing the trend of an annual 5-6% rise in losses seen in recent decades. Those moments, days and months after an event can bring out the best in an independent insurance agency—if it’s prepared. And as we are well into the 2022 hurricane season, now is an especially good time to be prepared. In this episode of Agency Nation Radio with Independent Agent magazine news editor AnneMarie McPherson Spears, we hear from independent agents on how they steered their communities through the aftermath of catastrophes, even as their own businesses were impacted as well. “Having a good disaster recovery plan…is first and foremost,” says Roy Riley of Peel & Holland Insurance in Benton, Kentucky. “You know, having a plan on how we are going to respond to that. Our agency always lives by the mantra th

John Bachmann, vice president of client relations, Norwood Insurance, Groveland, Massachusetts, sits down with Olivia Overman, Big “I” content editor on this edition of Agency Nation Radio’s Declaration of Independents to talk about building relationships. Not just with clients, but with carrier representatives and claims teams. Establishing these relationships helps agents better understand policies and how to best support clients. “Insurance is a people business and I love developing those relationships. I worked in the claims field for the first 17 years of my insurance career and some of the worst conversations I've ever had have been telling people they don’t have coverage. Now, I can prevent those conversations from happening,” says John. John is known as a claims leader, author of “Successful Adjuster’s Playbook: The Secret Skills for Providing the Best Claim Experience” and a self-professed insurance nerd. He started consulting and speaking in different venues all over the country, mostly with an

I find it just fascinating that I can learn something new every day. It's been a wonderful career for me as an academic where I just want to constantly expand my knowledge and use my brain. I love working with business clients, helping them run their businesses and advising them on things that are going to affect their businesses. Carrie Shaw, account manager with Mirabito-Grsham Insurance and host Olivia Overman talk about insurance careers and how to attract more young people to the industry. Declaration of Independents on Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success and failure—stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From main street USA to the pages of Independent Agent magazine—we’ve got the stories you want to hear. For more, catch Agency Nation Radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit iamagazine.com/podcasts. Have a story to tell? Contact Susan Bonner, Big "I" as

A conversation with agency owner Jana Foster and Progressive’s Karen Bailo Creating an organizational culture where employee perspectives are valued, and staff feels part of something bigger fosters an environment where individuals and the organization flourish. Jana Foster owner of Nevada Insurance Agency Company and chair of the Big “I” national Young Agents Committee sits down with Karen Bailo, commercial lines president, Progressive to talk organizational culture, inclusion, and the importance communication and supporting the personal development of staff. Karen is what Progressive calls a “lifer. ” She’s been in the business for more than 32 years, starting as a service representative, moving onto many analytical roles and eventually leading the independent agency channel. Now, Karen leads the fast-growing commercial business as commercial lines president. “People are it for us, we know that our people are our most powerful asset as a company. Without our customer service teams and claims organizatio

Take two third generation agency owners, mix in a passion for giving back to the community and you've got one inspiring conversation that will make you rethink how you connect with your community and build a stronger business. Brock Elliott, Elliott Group Kansas and member of the national Young Agent Committee and Ben Rathbun, president of Rathbun Insurance and winner of the Dan Fulwider reflect on their shared history of giving and how it brought them together as friends. Find out how you can make giving back a part of your organizational culture and just feel good about what you do! Welcome Agency Nation Radio where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success and failure--stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. https://noahsbandageproject.com/ https://www.elesplace.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brock-elliott-7168568a/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrathbun/

Welcome to Declaration of Independence. Today, we meet Kristine Rushing, co-owner and risk consultant at Rushing Insurance Agency in Pensacola, Florida. At the beginning of her career, Rushing interviewed with a bank and an insurance agency. The insurance agency was the first one to offer her a job—and so her insurance career began. When Nationwide released its exclusive agents from their contracts in 2008, Rushing and her now husband jumped at the opportunity to buy an agency. Being an agency owner showed Rushing a completely different side to the industry and confirmed insurance was the right career path for her. -- This is Declaration of Independents on Agency Nation Radio, where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success and failure-- stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From main street USA, to the pages of Independent Agent Magazine. Today’s episode is narrated by editor-in-chief, Will Jones, brought

On today's episode, we welcome Bill Wise from CHUBB to speak on their latest white paper, Catastrophic Cyber Risks - A Growing Concern, hosted by Peter van Aartrijk. This podcast is brought to you exclusively by Agency Nation Radio. Visit www.independentagent.com/podcasts for show notes, agency information, podcasts, articles and more.

Welcome to Declarations of Independence. Today, we meet Robbie Moore, Executive Vice President at Blanchard & Calhoun Insurance in Augusta, Georgia. As a risk management graduate from the University of Georgia, he is a self-confessed insurance nerd and is quite literally infatuated with all things insurance. After choosing to begin his career at an independent agency, he’s remained there ever since, and is in love with insurance today as he was when he took his first risk management class. Welcome to Declaration of Independents on Agency Nation Radio where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success and failure-- stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From main street USA, to the pages of Independent Agent Magazine. Today’s episode is narrated by editor-in-chief, Will Jones, brought to you exclusively by Agency Nation Radio. Visit www.iamagazine.com/podcasts for show notes, agency information, podcasts, ar

​According to a new study from Safeco Insurance and Liberty Mutual Insurance shows, 60% of employees in agencies are women, yet, they are underrepresented in leadership roles. The report also found that 1 in 4 female frontline staff don't feel they are given equal opportunity in their agency and more than one-third of female agency principals say they are often the only woman in the room. On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, we meet three women who are leaders in the independent agency channel. These women’s accomplishments illustrate the opportunities for women in the insurance industry, and their experiences represent the work that remains to be done to achieve parity. This episode features insight on women in the channel from Liz Nguyen, Vertafore's first female CTO; Crista Walker, vice president of agent engagement at Liberty Mutual and Safeco; and Kate Ferri Dawson, President of Ferri Dawson Insurance Group in Murrysville, Pennsylvania. Welcome to Declaration of Independents on Agency Nation Rad

Dana took the reins at her family owned agency, implementing diverse work and marketing strategies, which provided a platform for the business to adapt to the pandemic. From building a recording studio in the now empty office to transitioning to a new AMS, Dana is a leader among new breed of trailblazing independent agency owners. Welcome to Declaration of Independents on Agency Nation Radio where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success and failure-- stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From main street USA, to the pages of Independent Agent Magazine. Today’s episode is narrated by editor-in-chief, Will Jones, brought to you exclusively by Agency Nation Radio.

 After more than a decade leading a captive insurance agency, Ivan Hudson knew he was ready to launch into independent agency ownership. The story of Ivan Hudson Agency in Little Rock begins when Ivan recognized the advantage independence brings to his clients and the expansive business opportunities that follow. Hear how he finds his purpose and embraces the value he brings to the IA channel.    Welcome to Declaration of Independents on Agency Nation Radio where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success and failure-- stories that helped make them the professionals they are today.     From Main Street USA, to the pages of Independent Agent Magazine and NOW on Agency Nation Radio...  Host: Will Jones, editor-in-chief of Independent Agent   Guest: Ivan Hudson, Ivan Hudson Agency, Little Rock, Arkansas

Doug Smart and Kyle Becker of Smart Agency share stories of growth, successes and challenges, and how they made the most of the profitable, agency ownership transition. Attached is an excerpt from the 2021 Best Practices Study (annual study published in partnership with the Big “I” - click here for more information about this dynamic resource). This document is part of the whitepaper that focuses on perpetuation and how agencies can rethink their internal strategies. Also linked here is Reagan Consulting’s Private Ownership Study from 2010 that outlines the four key pillars of perpetuation.